Amberley Snyder will speak at the Tulsa Reining Classic on Friday, Sept. 2.The Global Reining Sports Group has announced that Amberley Snyder will present a motivational talk for youth and adults on Friday, Sept. 2, during the Tulsa Reining Classic.
Snyder earned national recognition in 2015 when she was invited to compete at RFD-TV’s THE AMERICAN Presented by Polaris Ranger, which paid out $2 million in cash awards. The world’s richest one-day rodeo also made a special presentation to Snyder to benefit her Future Farmers of America Amberley Snyder Courage Fund, which recognizes those that have overcome life’s challenges to be an inspiration to others.
Snyder has been riding since she was 3 and competing in rodeos since she was 7 years old. Rodeo became a passion and the love only got stronger as time went on. In 2009, she qualified for both the National High School Finals Rodeo and the National Little Britches Finals, where she won the finals and World All-Around Championships as well as finishing in the top six in three events.
Then, In January of 2010 Snyder was driving to the National Western Stock Show in Colorado when she was involved in a rollover car accident which left her paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors told her she would never have any chance of walking again and that her days spent on a horse were over.
A year and a half later, she figured out how she could barrel race using a seatbelt, Velcro and another strap to hold her in place. She became a write-in contestent, eligible to compete for $1 million at The American last March and a worldwide audience began to get to know this exceptional individual.
“Everything happens for a reason, and there’s a reason this happened to me,” she said. “I have zero doubt I will walk again. Five years in a wheelchair just blows my mind. But it’s not forever. The opportunities have outweighed the bad things.”
In the years since her accident, she has become a sought-after speaker and her positive message has resonated with adults and kids alike. To learn more about Snyder, check out the YouTube recording of The Ride With Cord McCoy.
For coverage of the Tulsa Reining Classic and other major events in the Western performance horse industry, subscribe to Quarter Horse News.
